§ 135-4 — Creditable service

(a) Repealed by Session Laws 2020-29, s. 1(a), effective June 19, 2020.
(b) In no case shall more than one year of service be creditable for all services in one year. Service rendered for the regular school year in any district shall be equivalent to one year's service. Service rendered by a school employee in a job-sharing position shall be credited at the rate of one-half year for each regular school year of employment.
(c) Repealed by Session Laws 2018-85, s. 7, effective June 25, 2018.
(d) Any member may, up to his date of retirement and within one year thereafter, request the Board of Trustees to modify or correct service credit that was earned prior to retirement.
(e) Creditable service at retirement on which the retirement allowance of a member shall be based shall consist of the membership service rendered by the member since he or she last became a member, and also if the member has a prior service certificate which is in full force and effect, the amount of service certified on the prior service certificate; and if the member has sick leave standing to the member's credit upon retirement on or after July 1, 1971, one month of credit for each 20 days or portion thereof, but not less than one hour; sick leave shall not be counted in computing creditable service for the purpose of determining eligibility for disability retirement or for a vested deferred allowance. Creditable service for unused sick leave shall be allowed only for sick leave accrued monthly during employment under a duly adopted sick leave policy and for which the member may be able to take credits and be paid for sick leave without restriction. However, in no instance shall unused sick leave be credited to a member's account at retirement if the member's last day of actual service is more than five years prior to the effective date of the member's retirement. Further, any agency with a sick leave policy that is more generous than that of all State agencies subject to the rules of the Office of State Human Resources shall proportionately adjust each of its retiring employees' sick leave balance to the balance that employee would have had under the rules of the Office of State Human Resources. Days of sick leave standing to a member's credit at retirement shall be determined by dividing the member's total hours of sick leave at retirement by the hours per month such leave was awarded under the employer's duly adopted sick leave policy as the policy applied to the member when the leave was accrued.
(e1) The creditable service of a member who was a member of the Law-Enforcement Officers' Retirement System at the time of the transfer of law-enforcement officers employed by the State from that System to this Retirement System and whose accumulated contributions are transferred from that System to this Retirement System, shall include service that was creditable in the Law-Enforcement Officers' Retirement System; and membership service with that System shall be membership service with this Retirement System; provided, notwithstanding any provision of this Article to the contrary, any inchoate or accrued rights of such a member to purchase creditable service for military service, withdrawn service and prior service under the rules and regulations of the Law-Enforcement Officers' Retirement System shall not be diminished and may be purchased as creditable service with this Retirement System under the same conditions which would have otherwise applied.
(f) Armed Service Credit. -
(1) Teachers and other State employees who entered the Armed Forces of the United States on or after September 16, 1940, and prior to February 17, 1941, and who returned to the service of the State within a period of two years after they were first eligible to be separated or released from the Armed Forces of the United States under other than dishonorable conditions shall be entitled to full credit for all prior service. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 4318(b)(1), when a member who has been on military leave returns to work consistent with the provisions of this subdivision, then the member's employer must remit to the System all the employer contributions for the full period of that member's military service.
(2) Teachers and other State employees who entered the Armed Forces of the United States on or after September 16, 1940, and who returned to the service of the State prior to October 1, 1952, or who devote not less than 10 years of service to the State after they are separated or released from the Armed Forces of the United States under other than dishonorable conditions, shall be entitled to full credit for all prior service, and, in addition they shall receive membership service credit for the period of service in the Armed Forces of the United States up to the date they were first eligible to be separated or released therefrom, occurring after the date of establishment of the Retirement System.
(3) Teachers and other State employees who enter the Armed Forces of the United States on or after July 1, 1950, or who engage in active military service on or after July 1, 1950, and who return to the service of the State within a period of two years after they are first eligible to be separated or released from such active military service under other than dishonorable conditions shall be entitled to full membership service credit for the period of such active service in the Armed Forces of the United States.
(4) Under such rules as the Board of Trustees shall adopt, credit will be provided by the Retirement System with respect to each such teacher or other State employee in the amounts that he or she would have been paid during such service in the Armed Forces of the United States on the basis of his or her earnable compensation when such service commenced. Such contributions shall be credited to the individual account of the member in the annuity savings fund, in such manner as the Board of Trustees shall determine, but any such contributions so credited and any regular interest thereon shall be available to the member only in the form of an annuity, or benefit in lieu thereof, upon the member's retirement on a service, disability or special retirement allowance; and in the event of cessation of membership or death prior thereto, any such contributions so credited and regular interest thereon shall not be payable to the member or on the member's account, but shall be transferred from the annuity savings fund to the pension accumulation fund. If any payments were made by a member on account of such service as provided by subdivision (5) of subsection (b) of G.S. 135-8, the Board of Trustees shall refund to or reimburse such member for such payments.
(5) The provisions of this subsection shall also apply to members of the North Carolina National Guard with respect to teachers and State employees who are called into federal service or who are called into State service, to the extent that such persons fail to receive compensation for performance of the duties of their employment other than for service in the North Carolina National Guard.
(6) Repealed by Session Laws 1981, c. 636, s. 1. For proviso as to inchoate or accrued rights, see Editor's note below.
(7) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(b) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(k).
(g) Teachers and other State employees who served in the uniformed services as defined in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 38 U.S.C. § 4303, who were not dishonorably discharged, and who returned to the service of the State within a period of two years from date of discharge shall be credited with prior service for such period of service in the uniformed services for the maximum period that they are entitled to reemployment under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 38 U.S.C. § 4301, et seq., or other federal law, and the salary or compensation of such a teacher or State employee during that period of service is deemed to be that salary or compensation the employee would have received but for the period of service had the employee remained continuously employed, if the determination of that salary or compensation is reasonably certain. If the determination of the salary or compensation is not reasonably certain, then it is deemed to be that employee's average rate of compensation during the 12-month period immediately preceding the period of service. When a member who has served in the uniformed services returns to work in compliance with the conditions of this subsection, that member's employer shall remit to the System all employer and employee contributions for the full period of that member's military service.
(h) During periods when a member is on an approved leave of absence and is receiving less than the member's full compensation, the member will be deemed to be in service only if the member is contributing to the Retirement System as provided in G.S. 135-8(b)(5). If the member is so contributing, the annual rate of compensation paid to such employee immediately before the approved leave of absence began will be deemed to be the actual compensation rate of the employee during the leave of absence.
(i) Repealed by Session Laws 2020-29, s. 1(a), effective June 19, 2020.
(j) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-57, s. 1.4(a), effective July 1, 2022.
(j1) Repealed by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(q).
(j2) Recodified as part of G.S. 135-4.5(a) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(a), (b).
(k) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-57, s. 1.4(a), effective July 1, 2022.
(k1) Recodified as part of G.S. 135-4.5(a)(1) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(b).
(l) Repealed by Session Laws 1981, c. 636, s. 1. For proviso as to inchoate or accrued rights, see Editor's note below.
(l1) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-57, s. 1.4(a), effective July 1, 2022.
(l2) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(2) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(c).
(m) Notwithstanding any language to the contrary of any provision of this section, or of any repealed provision of this section that was repealed with the inchoate and accrued rights preserved, all repayments and purchases of service credits, allowed under the provisions of this section or of any repealed provision of this section that was repealed with inchoate and accrued rights preserved, must be made within three years after the member first becomes eligible to make such repayments and purchases. Any member who does not repay or purchase service credits within said three years after first eligibility to make such repayments and purchases may, under the same conditions as are otherwise required, repay or purchase service credits provided that the repayment or purchase equals the full cost of the service credits calculated on the basis of the assumptions used for purposes of the actuarial valuation of the system's liabilities and shall take into account the additional retirement allowance arising on account of such additional service credit commencing at the earliest age at which such member could retire on an unreduced retirement allowance as determined by the Board of Trustees upon the advice of the consulting actuary. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subsection that provide for the purchase of service credits, the terms "full cost", "full liability", and "full actuarial cost" include assumed annual post-retirement allowance increases, as determined by the Board of Trustees, from the earliest age at which a member could retire on an unreduced service allowance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, on and after July 1, 2001, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the repayment of contributions withdrawn pursuant to subsection (k) of this section.
(n) Repealed by Session Laws 1981, c. 636, s. 1. For proviso as to inchoate or accrued rights, see Editor's note below.
(o) Repealed by Session Laws 1981, c. 636, s. 1. For proviso as to inchoate or accrued rights, see Editor's note below.
(p) Repealed by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(q).
(p1) Repealed by Session Laws 2020-29, s. 1(a), effective June 19, 2020.
(p2) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(3) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(d).
(q) Repealed by Session Laws 2020-29, s. 1(a), effective June 19, 2020.
(r) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(c) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(l).
(s) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(4) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(e).
(t), (u) Repealed by Session Laws 2020-29, s. 1(a), effective June 19, 2020.
(v) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(d) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(m).
(w) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-57, s. 1.4(a), effective July 1, 2022.
(x) Repealed by Session Laws 2001-424, s. 32.32(c), effective July 1, 2001.
(y) A member who is a beneficiary of the Disability Income Plan provided for in Article 6 of this Chapter shall be granted creditable service for each month that the member is eligible for and for which a benefit is paid under the provisions of G.S. 135-105 and G.S. 135-106; provided, however, that in no instance shall a member be granted creditable service under this subsection if creditable service is earned or credited for the same month in this retirement system or any other retirement system administered by the State.
(z) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(7) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(g).
(aa) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(8) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(h).
(bb) Repealed by Session Laws 2021-57, s. 1.4(a), effective July 1, 2022.
(bb1) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(5) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(f).
(cc) Repealed by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(q).
(cc1) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(9) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(i).
(dd) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(f) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(o).
(ee) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(g) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(p).
(ff) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(e) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(n).
(gg) If a member who is an elected government official and has not vested in this System on July 1, 2007, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S. 135-18.10 for acts committed after July 1, 2007, then that member shall forfeit all benefits under this System, except for a return of member contributions plus interest. If a member who is an elected government official and has vested in this System on July 1, 2007, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S. 135-18.10 for acts committed after July 1, 2007, then that member is not entitled to any creditable service that accrued after July 1, 2007, regardless of whether that creditable service was earned by virtue of membership in the System, accrued by conversion of sick leave at the point of the member's retirement, accrued by transfer of service from another retirement system, purchased by the member in accordance with this Chapter, or accrued by any other means. No member shall forfeit any benefit or creditable service earned from a position not as an elected government official. For purposes of this subsection, creditable service attributable to the conversion of sick leave accrues in this System on the date of retirement, service transferred to this System from another system accrues in this System on the effective date of the transfer, and purchased service accrues in this System on the date of the purchase.
(hh) Recodified as G.S. 135-4.5(a)(10) by Session Laws 2024-10, s. 2(j).
(ii) If a member who is in service and has not vested in this System on December 1, 2012, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S. 135-18.10A for acts committed after December 1, 2012, then that member shall forfeit all benefits under this System, except for a return of member contributions plus interest. If a member who is in service and has vested in this System on December 1, 2012, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S. 135-18.10A for acts committed after December 1, 2012, then that member is not entitled to any creditable service that accrued after December 1, 2012, regardless of whether that creditable service was earned by virtue of membership in the System, accrued by conversion of sick leave at the point of the member's retirement, accrued by transfer of service from another retirement system, purchased by the member in accordance with this Chapter, or accrued by any other means. For purposes of this subsection, creditable service attributable to the conversion of sick leave accrues in this System on the date of retirement, service transferred to this System from another system accrues in this System on the effective date of the transfer, and purchased service accrues in this System on the date of the purchase.
(jj) Contribution-Based Benefit Cap Purchase Provision. - If a member's retirement allowance is subject to an adjustment pursuant to the contribution-based benefit cap established in G.S. 135-5(a3), except as otherwise provided under this subsection, the retirement system shall notify the member and the member's employer that the member's retirement allowance has been capped. The retirement system shall compute and notify the member and the member's employer of the total additional amount the member would need to contribute in order to make the member not subject to the contribution-based benefit cap. This total additional amount shall be the actuarial equivalent of a single life annuity adjusted for the age of the member at the time of retirement, or when appropriate, the age at the time of the member's death that would have had to have been purchased to increase the member's benefit to the pre-cap level. If the member's employer did not report to the retirement system any compensation paid to the member during the period used to compute the member's average final compensation, the retirement system shall not notify the member's employer, but instead shall notify the employer or employers who reported compensation during the member's average final compensation period, with the notification for each such employer specifying that employer's share of the amount that would have had to have been purchased to increase the member's benefit to the pre-cap level, allocated proportionally to each employer based on the total amount of compensation to the member that each employer reported during the period used to compute the member's average final compensation. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the member shall have until 90 days after notification regarding this additional amount or until 90 days after the effective date of retirement, whichever is later, to submit a lump sum payment to the annuity savings fund in order for the retirement system to restore the retirement allowance to the uncapped amount. Nothing contained in this subsection shall prevent an employer or former employer from paying all or part of the cost of the amount necessary to restore the member's retirement allowance to the pre-cap amount. Notwithstanding the requirement that the payment be made as a lump sum, and notwithstanding Chapter 150B of the General Statutes, the retirement system may allow an employer or former employer of a member who became a member before January 1, 2015, or who has not earned at least five years of membership service in the retirement system after January 1, 2015, to pay the additional amount required in this subsection over an extended period using one of the following three options:
(1) Option one. - An installment payment plan ending no more than 15 months after the retirement of the member.
(2) Option two. - An installment payment plan ending no more than 27 months after the retirement of the member. Interest shall be assessed on the principal amount of the contribution-based benefit cap liability owed and applied to any installment payment plan term exceeding 12 months at a rate corresponding with the interest rate assumption based on the most recent actuarial valuation approved by the Board of Trustees.
(3) Option three. - An adjustment to the required employer contribution rate for the employer as provided in G.S. 135-8(f)(5).
Payment under the selected option must be completed regardless of whether the member continues to receive a recurring monthly retirement benefit through the end of the extended payment period. An employer's continuing compliance with a payment option selected from the three options above will be deemed payment of the employer's additional contribution required by this subsection for purposes of G.S. 135-8(f)(3).
(kk) Creditable service may be purchased in accordance with G.S. 135-4.5, or as otherwise provided for in this Article. (1941, c. 25, s. 4; 1943, cc. 200, 783; 1945, c. 797; 1947, c. 575; 1949, c. 1056, ss. 2, 4; 1953, c. 1050, s. 3; 1959, c. 513, s. 11/2; 1961, c. 516, s. 3; c. 779, s. 2; 1963, c. 1262; 1965, c. 780, s. 1; c. 924; 1967, c. 720, s. 3; 1969, c. 1223, ss. 3, 4; 1971, c. 117, ss. 9, 10; c. 993; 1973, c. 241, s. 2; c. 242, s. 1; c. 667, s. 2; c. 737, s. 1; c. 816, s. 1; c. 1063; c. 1311, ss. 1-5; 1975, c. 205, s. 2; c. 875, s. 47; 1977, cc. 317, 790; 1979, c. 826; c. 866, s. 2; c. 867; c. 972, s. 3; 1981, c. 557, s. 3; c. 636, s. 1; c. 1116, s. 1; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1396, s. 4; 1983, c. 533, s. 1; c. 725; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1030; c. 1034, ss. 230, 231; c. 1045, ss. 1, 2; 1985, c. 401, ss. 1, 2; c. 407, s. 1; c. 479, s. 193; c. 512; c. 530; c. 649, ss. 1, 4; c. 749, s. 1; 1987, c. 533, s. 1; c. 717, s. 2; c. 738, s. 29(b); c. 809, s. 2; c. 821; c. 825; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1088, ss. 1-4; c. 1103; c. 1110, s. 9; 1989, c. 255, ss. 11-20; c. 762, s. 3; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1017, s. 2; c. 1029, s. 1; 1995, c. 507, s. 7.23D(b); 1998-71, ss. 3, 4; 1998-190, s. 1; 1998-212, s. 9.14A(c); 1998-214, s. 2; 1999-71, s. 1; 1999-158, s. 2; 2001-424, ss. 32.28(a), 32.32(a), 32.32(b), 32.32(c); 2002-71, s. 5; 2002-153, s. 4; 2002-174, s. 3; 2003-284, s. 30.18(b); 2003-358, s. 3; 2003-359, ss. 7, 8, 9, 12.; 2005-91, s. 1; 2007-179, s. 3(b); 2007-233, s. 1; 2007-431, ss. 8, 11; 2009-281, s. 1; 2010-72, s. 5(a); 2011-183, s. 101; 2011-294, s. 5(a); 2012-130, s. 3(b), (c); 2012-193, s. 2; 2013-382, s. 9.1(c); 2013-405, s. 6(a); 2014-88, s. 1(c); 2014-115, s. 55.3(f); 2015-67, s. 6; 2015-168, s. 7(a); 2016-82, s. 1; 2017-128, s. 2(a); 2017-129, s. 9(a); 2018-85, ss. 7, 14; 2018-145, s. 20(b); 2020-29, s. 1(a); 2020-48, s. 4.4(a), (b); 2021-57, ss. 1.1, 1.2(a), (b), 1.3, 1.4(a); 2021-72, ss. 1.1(d), 3.1(d); 2022-16, s. 1.1; 2023-89, s. 1.2; 2024-10, ss. 2(a)-(q), 4(b).)